CHAPTER 3-Voldemort
“Oh, no, no, no. Please, no. Honestly, I can’t face that! I can’t!”
It was early morning, at the entrance of the Great Hall and both Lily and Alice were trying to pull Luna in but she was resisting brutally in every way possible.
“No, no, please, you don’t get it! This is the reason I had to go meditating. I was becoming a nervous breakdown! I was practically shaking every time he left the bloody house!” Luna was almost screaming. A first year boy was watching, terrified. This possibly didn’t fit the image he’d conjured for a magic school. Alice, letting go of Luna for a moment spared him a sensitive-yet-without-her-accent comment. Lily gave her a reproachful look; ‘bog off’ didn’t count as a warm welcome as far as she was concerned.
“It can’t have been that bad,” Lily said, soothingly, as she and Alice finally managed to convince Luna to sit and have breakfast at the Gryffindor table.
“Can’t have been that bad? Oh, my sweet, innocent Lily…” Luna whispered, hiding behind Alice’s long blond ponytail, as a suspiciously long and black-haired boy passed their table.
“Oh, Luna, pull yourself together! He’s a stupid conceited school-boy. Besides-how much damage can one Marauder cause?” snapped Alice, least experienced when it came to the bad side of the rule-breaking quartet.
“How much damage? Well, for starters, he utterly convinced my parents he’s the model child; perfect grades, perfect manners, perfect style-the exact opposite of me-, got them to invite him every other day ( “oh, darling, we can’t just leave him all alone! ”) and whenever he came and my parents were at a safe distance I was, literally, attacked!” Luna finished, out of breath.
Lily tried to block out her friend’s voice, which was beginning another rant against Sirius Black. She hid a grin, remembering the daily letters Luna had sent her, not believing her hard luck that the one person in the world she could not stand had moved to the same street as her. Her parents had been so thrilled to find “such a charming, young man” living next to them that they had made it a habit of inviting him to their house whenever possible until he had left to visit the Potters.
She watched her friends with a small smile on her face. It was good to be them again. Luna had been her best friend since their first year, when she’d taken to informing fellow Gryffindors on her self-made potions. They had been inseparable since. She was what Lily liked to call a classic beauty; blonde hair, streaked with light brown, dark eyes and a slim frame. In short, every boy’s dream; but, as she said, she didn’t have time for boys, though it hadn’t prevented her from having quite a few on the go.
Alice, on the other hand, had joined their little club in their third year, by accident. She and Luna had never got along before. They were complete opposites and completely alike, too; both popular, but in their own unique ways. Alice was blonde, too, but never had time for boys outside the Quidditch pitch. Alice, the classic tomboy; Luna, the classic heart-breaker. But their love for Lily had united them. What can a girl say? She was loved by many, including a number who weren’t exactly welcome to do so. Namely, Potter.
Clang! Lily’s knife dropped on the floor. There was Potter, a little way opposite from herself on the opposite bench. He appeared to be talking to a Slytherin. Well, that’s a first, she thought, frowning. She turned to her toast, only to drop her knife again. Ignoring Alice- “watch it, Lil, you could be endangering a couple of toes there”-, Lily looked more closely at the person Potter was talking to. It was that Slytherin Prefect. Marissa? Clarissa? She didn’t notice another Slytherin that was watching her intently.
“Narcissa,” said an amused voice.
Lily turned sharply around to find her favourite Marauder, Remus Lupin, smiling as he went by. He sat next to her.
“I knew it was something strange like that.”
“Doesn’t seem to be bothering James,” he answered, with a rather knowing look.
“They seem to be getting along fine,” she said, making it plain not to discuss his comment. “Considering…”
“Considering she’s a Slytherin you mean? Or considering he’s never paid that much attention to a girl without the following qualities: red hair, green eyes and astonishing beauty?” Remus pointed out tactfully.
Lily decided it was time to change the subject; it was turning out rather dangerously. But she couldn’t help giving Remus a smile. He was the absolute sweetheart; you had to love him. And love him she did, as did every girl in their year. Especially Alice. The two were very good friends, although Lily could tell Remus went rather weak in the knees whenever he spoke to her. In his (and only his) case, comparing him with Sirius was to his advantage; usually all of his friend’s ex-girlfriends joined the fan club. And, of course, compared to another of his friends…
“So, Remus, have you-”
Lily was cut short by a small scream. Luna was on her feet, wand at the ready. Lily could only think of two reasons for this. Either she’d realized she’d put make-up on only one eye because of her early morning breakdown; or she was having another one. Nervous breakdown, that is.
“Luna, baby, it’s only been a week and I’ve already missed you,” said Sirius, heavy on the sarcasm, with Pettigrew following puppy-like behind. Potter, having apparently realized all his friends were near Lily, left Narcissa with a wink that the Head Girl didn’t fail to notice.
Potter approached Lily, presumably feeling safe in the crowd.
“I heard all about Luna’s misfortune every day this summer,” he whispered in her ear.
Lily, forgetting herself, answered, “You have no idea!” Then she recovered. “You’re closer than allowed, Potter. Go save your friend from the hex that’s coming.”
Before he had the chance to reply, Luna had cast the Bat-Bogey Hex and Professor McGonagall was on her way to the table, looking furious. Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, and Professor Dumbledore were watching with amusement.
“Miss Evans, Potter, I trust you still remember the duties that badge gives you. I would consider this a time to display the power it stands for,” McGonagall pointed at their two friends, one of which was howling like a dog, covered in weird, flying things. “You two, Black. Davies. Follow me.”
As soon as they left, the Gryffindor table burst into laughter, with Potter the loudest. Lily shook her head incredulously.
“You’re unbelievable, Potter.” At that Potter looked at the floor and muttered an insincere apology.
Lily ignored him and sat down next to Alice and Remus to finish her toast. Potter squeezed himself between the two girls. Without taking any notice whatsoever of Lily, he turned to Alice and started to chat about Quidditch.
“Hey, Al, I want to get trials done before the end of this week, so we can start practising. Any ideas for Keeper?”
Alice, smiling at her best friend, put her coffee down slowly.
“Well, frankly, Frank’s not going to be easy to replace,” Alice went red at the mention of her boyfriend, Frank Longbottom, who was now studying to be an Auror. “He was the best Keeper we had, but I think some of the fourth years are good. Florence Finnigan’s quick. So is Chris Prewett. And they’d get along with the rest of the team.”
“Yeah, not every member, I’m guessing,” said Potter, his expression uncharacteristically nasty. “You don’t just ‘get along’ with McLaggen or Avery.”
Alice laughed. Lily couldn’t help but agree with Potter. Tiberius McLaggen was famously annoying, although some people gave him credit for being a good Beater. Not Lily. Beating around with a bat didn’t get you into her good books. Neither did chasing a flying ball. Now, Avery was a different story. Born to be in Slytherin, he ended up in Gryffindor instead. It was a general misfortune.
“Well, we’ve got our Chasers, you, me and Sirius. McLaggen and Avery, sadly, the best Beaters Hogwarts has known. And Nat Pattinson’s Seeker. So, yeah, Florence or Gideon could fit in. Anyway, I’ll go see if Sirius is alive,” finished Potter, blowing a kiss to Lily and running to catch up with Remus, who had just finished breakfast.
“He can be so annoying at times,” said Lily through gritted teeth.
“And so charming at others,” Alice smirked.
The first day of school lessons wasn’t as relaxed as James expected it to be. Every teacher begun with an hour-long lecture, which not even the attention-paying Remus could follow completely. After that torture, they were given past papers, each with a steadily increasing level of difficulty; not to mention a steadily falling percentage of passes.
“NEWTs are, of course, more important than your Ordinary Wizarding Levels which have brought you here today. No longer will you be writing to ensure you reach the next class but you will be gathering the qualifications that will determine the outcome of your lives outside the school grounds,” said Professor McGonagall, repeating what they’d already heard consecutively from Professors Flitwick and Slughorn.
“I honestly should not have come this year. If this is what the whole NEWT year is going to be like, I’m leaving-like, NOW,” said Sirius, after a long hour of Transfiguration and an even longer essay to prepare, his face bat-bogey free.
“Shut up, Padfoot. We’re going to be fed now. I’d like to forget anything to do with exams and focus entirely on my pork chops,” said James, shaking his head vigorously.
“I second that,” said Remus in the same state.
Peter was beyond words. He was just staring at the past paper in front of him, evidently mouthing the word ‘Troll’. James patted him with sympathy, knowing how hard his friend found exams.
“Hey, James!”
Before he could turn, he felt a clap on his back and Nathaniel Pattinson, Gryffindor’s fifth year Seeker, grinned at him.
“Oh hey, Nat,” grumbled James, still in shock after the lessons.
“When are trials then? I need to get on my broom. Being stuck in London, surrounded by Muggles didn’t give me the chance to use it,” Nat grinned again.
James winced in sympathy. Nat, like Lily, was Muggle-born, though it didn’t stop him from being one of the most popular kids at school. Again like Lily. And speaking of Lily-
“Oh, right, Lily wants you. Something about getting-er-yourself to Dumbledore’s off-” Nat begun.
“Oh, damn! I forgot Dumbledore wanted to see us!” yelled James and he ran, leaving Nat to raise an eyebrow at the rest of the hysterically laughing Marauders. James ran to the stone gargoyle that had forever guarded the entrance to the Headmaster’s office. Password, password, I don’t know the password. The gargoyle, however, seemed to be expecting him.
“Are you Potter?”
James jumped at the voice. In all of the times that he’d been sent to Dumbledore’s office (and they were many), the statue had never spoken. “Er, yes, yes, I am.” The gargoyle gave a snigger and sprang aside, leaving the secret stairway to be revealed. James bounded up and rushed through the door, without knocking. Lily was already there.
“Sorry, sir. I had to-er-give-” James swallowed at Lily’s skeptical gaze, “-detention. To someone. Not to myself,” James finished his lame excuse, as he sat in front of the Headmaster’s desk.
“Yes, I can understand how giving detention is far more important,” said Dumbledore, without a hint of sarcasm; he seemed genuinely amused. “But I must confess that when you hear the severity of that which I have to tell you, you might feel it upon yourself to consider it a priority, Mr Potter.”
James nodded, having understood nothing of what had been said. Lily seemed to have realised that because she failed to hide a tutting noise. Dumbledore, who noticed nothing, put a grave expression on and entwined his fingers.
“I am sure you are both aware that, for many years now, wizards have been making unworthy distinctions among themselves. I am talking, of course, of the so-called Pure-blood, Half-blood and Muggle-born wizard distinctions.”
James glanced briefly at Lily. She was sitting calmly on her chair, taking in Dumbledore’s words. At the word ‘Muggle-born’, though, she gave an involuntary twitch and a hurt expression appeared on her face.
“Magic folk who belong to the latter, that is to say, are either half-blood or muggle-born wizards, have always been faced with a rather racial attitude to the point of being the recipients of offensive remarks, such as-,” Dumbledore’s face hardened, “-the word Mudblood. To this day, despite many efforts from my part as well as from others, this attitude subsists and, I am sorry to say, has become violent rather than verbal. You may have realised what I am telling you. The work of Lord Voldemort has become increasingly famous, for lack of a better word.”
At the sound of that name, the Head Girl and Boy gave a shudder. James had certainly heard of him. The WWN was continuously reporting on the Pure-blood ideas Voldemort was spreading, although they had recently taken to calling him You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Many wizards were openly showing their support of his actions, regarding them as a way of purifying the wizarding race, however brutal they were.
Lily had apparently heard of it, too. Her hands were both clenched into fists.
“Now, as I am sure you understand, I do not share these views. I find them insulting for any student within these walls, but, sadly, I am currently one of the few. That is not the problem I have called you here to face. Voldemort has begun recruiting followers and I fear the charms protecting Hogwarts are not keeping students from being tempted by his false ideas. Already, I bear the knowledge of certain students who have been asked to join, willingly or not so. By my own persuasive means I have gathered useful yet disturbing information. Our students cannot be protected from this and the only way we can try to prevent this is to watch over them. As Head Boy and Head Girl, I trust you shall assist all our teachers in doing so, bearing in mind that what I have told you is strictly confidential and nothing of this conversation shall leave the boundaries of this room, unless you wish to share this with people you find trustworthy. Now, I am sure you have many questions but I must ask you to keep them short. Yes, Mr Potter?”
“Sir, are you saying that kids we know, from school have been wrecking Muggle houses and attacking Muggle-borns?” James asked, unbelieving.
“Sadly, yes, that is what has reached me,” Dumbledore replied; he looked tired and troubled.
A voice, barely audible, came from where Lily’s chair.
“Headmaster, may I be excused?”
Dumbledore turned to her, looking concerned; James watched Lily; she had turned pale.
“Of course, Miss Evans. Mr Potter, would you stay behind for a moment?”
James stayed reluctantly, with no curiosity about what Dumbledore wanted. Lily looked dazed; she would have been safer with someone.
“As Head Girl, Miss Evans will be on duty more than most Prefects. And as a child born of non-magic parents,” Dumbledore sighed “, she might be in more danger. I must ask you to watch over her, as a precautionary measure.”
James looked stonily at his white knuckles.
“Don’t worry, sir,” he got up to leave “, she’ll be safe with me. I promise.”
A/N: So, there’s Voldemort. After a long absence which had been dedicated to incredibly exhausting schoolwork! But I managed to make time and if anyone has the remotest clue of what greek education is like they'll sympathize!
Hey could everyone who’s listed it as a favourite could give me their opinion (once, twice, three times?)? I would really appreciate it!